Jeanne Janalee Baxter

Jeanne Janalee (Tuttle) Baxter , our Matriarch, was born on August 29, 1940 and peacefully went home to her Lord on September 13, 2024 surrounded by family and those she loved.

Jeanne was born in San Bernardino, Ca. to parents Carl Tuttle and Lucille (Wamhoff) Tuttle. She was later joined by her younger brother Bill Tuttle. During her younger years, she enjoyed spending time on her grandparent’s farm helping her grandfather tend to the chickens.The joy of the farm, animals and horses remained with her throughout her life. There wasn’t a Clydesdale she didn’t love. During her elementary school days, her family moved to Hawaii for a few years while her father Carl was enlisted in the Coast Guard. In 1949, the family returned stateside to Long Beach, where she continued her education and met her life-long friends. Jeanne and her friends enjoyed fun times at the Hippodrome Roller Rink, The Pike, and going to the movies. She was also very involved in the Lutheran Church, where her mother was the office secretary for years. Jeanne would welcome new members and make them feel part of the church family. Jeanne was also a sponsor for the Luther League, a religious association for young people that is affiliated with the Lutheran Church. Jeanne loved Long Beach and resided there the remainder of her life. Jeanne’s first two years of high school, she went to Woodrow Wilson in Long Beach and then in 1958, Jeanne was a graduate of the first graduating class of the newly opened R.A. Millikan High School. Both of Jeanne’s children also graduated from R.A. Millikan High School. Jeanne married soon after high school and over the next year, welcomed her daughter, Lorilyn Yarger in 1959 and her son Rick Yarger in 1964.  While her children were growing up, Jeanne began working at Pacific Hospital where she started in the Laboratory, then onto Administration and ultimately found her niche working in the Emergency Department. Jeanne was not one to be idle and thoroughly enjoyed the daily challenges that came with working in the ER.  Eventually, after 25 years and many interesting stories, she retired and was able to spend more time with her family, especially her grandchildren. May 13,1978, she married the love of her life, Max Baxter. They were married 37 years until Max passed away in 2015.  After their marriage, they became a blended family of six kids (Jeanne’s two and Max’s four). Jeanne and Max enjoyed going on trips in their motorhome with their dogs Copper, then Beau. They loved visiting Lake Tahoe, went on camp outs with the retired police department’s “Cop Outs.” They were also very active with the Long Beach Police Officers Association where Jeanne volunteered many hours at the office and was very involved in setting up for the annual POA picnics. Their date nights often consisted of playing bingo at the neighborhood church, they enjoyed going to the casino and going to the movies. Jeanne loved to go shooting, and going to the river, riding on the fast boat and always getting lucky at the casino. She also loved playing the ponies and the numbers that she chose always had to have a “three” in it. Jeanne loved Gardenias and Plumerias. Jeanne’s favorite times were when she would spend time with Max, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her and Max’s blended family produced six children, sixteen grandchildren and twenty eight Great-grandchildren. Jeanne was fierce, feisty, strong, stubborn, kind, funny and loving wife, sister, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Jeanne was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Lucille Tuttle, by her husband, Max Baxter, her brother Bill Tuttle as well as many distant relatives and friends.

Jeanne is survived by her daughter Lorilyn Yarger Mobley (Phil), her children, Jason Craig (Elizabeth) their children Maverick and Landon.  Alyssa Clark (Joey), their children August and Anderson. Her son Rick Yarger (Kelly), their children Trevor and Jake. Stepchildren, Brian Baxter (Kristy), Jill Richards (BR), Cheryl Trotter (Stacy) and Grant Baxter and 12 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

Jeanne requested that nobody wear Black to her celebration of life.